Hopeful Jaded
by Windy-Stormz
Summary: In this short story, a young man goes on a walk to find himself mysteriously transported into the Pokemon world, a place he knew of from a game-company only. He now has to survive in this new world, all the while holding the hope that he can get back home. Or will he accept his new life? Possible romance and gore, yet to be decided, also has much profanity rated M for that reason.
1. A Beginning

It rained again last night. Just beautiful really. The drumroll of thunder in the heavens, the flash and crack of lightning reading to caress the earth lovingly. It's times like these when I wish we could wash away the sins of the human race

Whenever it rains, I forget my age, forget I'm eighty-three years old and getting older. And when its nights like that, I remember. I was eighteen at the time, and IT was a tremendous thing to happen at such a young and tender age. It has been years since I've seen my friends and family from before IT happened.

* * *

"Leo, take Flash out before it starts to rain!" The shout came from the direction of the kitchen where my mom was baking a batch of cookies for the family game later that night. I rolled my eyes, grabbing and umbrella and the leash. "I'll take him for one of my long walks, he's been running around the house for a while now," I yelled back to her from the front room. There was no answering reply so I clipped the leash to the collar of the dog, a bouncing Labrador, eager to go.

We stepped out the front door and I grinned at the darkened sky as two cats - each with fur black, brown and soft to the touch - ran up to me anxious to join me on the walk.

I stepped off the porch and, opening my umbrella, set out. I glanced up at the trees – their gold-yellow and red leaves dancing in the wind – standing guard around the clearing where we lived. I smiled fondly as a memory surfaced, of when my family and I first moved here and how I was nervous of the woods, completely different to the comfort I now found there.

Leaving the gravel path of the driveway, my hiking boots clunked across the dirt path I had made over the years through the forest, the dog zooming back and forth from a bush to a tree to a particularly interesting leaf, excited to be out and about.

Running a hand through my wavy chestnut hair, my trench-coat blew behind me in the wind, revealing a blue short-sleeve shirt and dark jeans. In the shelter of the trees above, birds and squirrels hid from the coming storm. I heard thick drops of rain begin to fall on my umbrella and my smile widened in pure delight.

Lost in my thoughts, I never noticed when we had left the path. A stray bolt of lightning that seemed to be right on top of us startled me and my companions. As both the ringing in my ears and the light in my eyes faded, I saw to my dismay that not only was I in a place I no longer recognized, but that my dog and cats had run off, frightened, and nowhere to be seen.

I shouted and whistled for them as the wind tried and succeeded to blow me over, knocking my breath away it was so strong. As I stumbled back to my feet, I glanced around me frantically and that was when I noticed them. The glowing eyes. They were all different – red, yellow, blue, but all of them had something in common. They were all staring at me! I twirled in a circle, muttering to myself "It isn't real, they're not there," seeing them all around me.

I had never been so scared. I laid down on the ground and curled into as small a ball as I could, closing my eyes shut in the hopes that this would all go away.

The wind slowly died down. Without the wind in my ears I could hear a low muttering from where I had last seen the staring eyes. Through my tightened eyelids, I saw a bright light appear, seeming to come from everywhere.

The muttering turned into a quiet gasp of what seemed to be surprise, and the last thing I felt before I was inexorably pulled into a deep sleep was a light dust falling on my face.

* * *

I opened my eyes blearily, bot knowing how long i had slept, only that I was somewhere warm and wrapped up in what suspiciously felt a lot like the woolen inside of my coat. The only thing I saw was the cozy darkness. Voices slightly muffled came through and I almost called out to them when i realized that...I didn't recognize them!

"What should we do with it?" asked one voice questioningly.  
"Well, we could keep it inside for now. It obviously belongs to _some_one. Look at how well groomed and well-fed it is!" replied a second one enthusiastically. "We might even be able to get a reward for it!"  
"We'll put up pictures in the town nearby and contact the authorities and whatnot." This last voice seemed to be feminine and more authoritative.

I was worried about where i was and who these people were, but was still quite curious about who or what they were talking about. _Is it a pet? That's what it sounds like, _I thought to myself. I struggled to get out of the cocoon of warmth I was in, and blinked in the sudden discord of color and light that met my eyes. Everything seemed to be completely covered in bright or dark colors that almost looked as if it were gently swirling while staying in the same spot. I shook my head and it slowly disappeared from my vision. _Must have been a trick of the light._

"Hey guys, look! It's awake!" This was the enthusiastic voice from earlier and I looked around to behind me from where the voice had come from. I sat on a couch near a kitchen in which was a small sink, fridge, and a round plastic table around which were three people. Two of them were women and the last was a man. One woman was wearing a black leather jacket, green mini-skirt, brown t-shirt and beads in her long red hair. The second was wearing a business suit, a notepad in hand though her pencil seemed to be stuck through her raven-colored hair which was in a bun.

The man was the last one I really got a look at, though he probably should have been the first to draw my attention, because he always seem to be moving, always fidgeting in his seat or doing something with his hands. He wore a grey tee, dog-chains and a pair of khaki cargo shorts which were filled to the brim with _something_.

At first I thought their attention was on something behind me but there wasn't anything there. "Do you think you can tell us where you live, little one?" Said the woman in the suit. I turned back and looked at them each in turn. "Do you mean me?" I asked, pointing at myself. "Yes, you." I squinted at them suspiciously, but not really seeing anything to be worried anymore about, mentally shrugged and said, "1463 Fae-ring Lane." They all looked at each other and the guy let out a loud laugh and the woman in the leather jacket gave a small smile.

The suit-woman (which is how i was coming to call her) held out her notepad to me and grabbed for her pencil. "Why don't you write it out for us?" I rolled my eyes and made to get off the couch, but fell instead, to much laughter from the man who was glared at by the other two. I stood up, slightly embarrassed, when I saw something strange. Everything seemed to be several feet taller than I thought they were.

The first thought that went through my head was, _That's weird_ but anymore thoughts that might have came went straight out the nearby window off to my left when I looked down and saw _**I was no longer human**._

I squeaked and looked at my hands, now paws and covered in light blue fur and a white knob on the back of each arm. I fell back down, and saw the rest of me was covered in fur as well, though my legs and chest were black instead. I shook my head as fast as I could and rubbed my eyes to see if that would help with what I hoped was only a hallucination.

I got up and searched for a mirror, anything that could show my reflection. The glass of a oven gave me full visual of my body, but I only wished I hadn't looked, for I could see that to my terror and amazement, I was now a _Riolu_!


	2. What Now!

Falling. It's a cool feeling to experience. The body at first wants to panic, but what happens when it realizes there doesn't seem to be an end? That's what I was thinking, slowly turning my head left and right to get a look around me. Wind seemed to scream past me, tugging at my clothes and hair. I smiled in relief. I was still human, no matter if I was going to die soon.

Below me two warring masses met, an ocean and a continent, each seeming to expand beyond the horizon. The warm glow of the sun above me kissed both and I was in awe of the beautiful sight. I continued on.

A city rose beneath me, like some great behemoth as I fell closer and closer to the ocean's surface. To my continued amazement I started to slow down as I fell past the tip of the skyscraper nearest to me. I took a glance at the window and saw my reflection. The sky noticeably grew darker and gave a threatening rumble like it was a wild animal pinned in a corner.

My reflection was that of a riolu! I started to panic and twisted and flailed waving arms now covered in black and blue fur. I saw inside the building people. My friends and family. Somehow I knew that even though they could help me, save me, they wouldn't. They all just looked at me and turned away.

Something curled around my ankle and waist, tugging me faster towards the water. Just Inches before I hit the dark, murky surface, I woke up on the floor by the couch that I had originally fallen asleep on.

It had been four days. Four days since I first realized I wasn't home anymore. I looked down at my new body and nearly cried. I growled quietly at myself after a while. Who was I to just fucking sit there and wallow in self-pity? Instead of sulking I could be trying to learn more about where I was, and see if I could find some way to turn back into human and get back home!

I soon found that my new-found desire wasn't enough as communication proved to be…amusingly difficult. I say it's amusing, but really only to the man I had first met whose sense of humor didn't seem to go very far as the gestures I was making to tell him that I wanted to go to a library or some sort of school were funny. When I look back now, I can understand the goofiness of the situation, me waving my arms about wildly. Writing didn't work too well either. The only thing I could make were what pretty much exactly like chicken-scratch.

I finally got so frustrated that that I just stomped over to the front-door and, pointing, shouted "Let me the fuck out!" He stopped laughing so suddenly I thought he had a heart attack. Shaking his head he replied, "I'm sorry, but if you want to go out, that can't happen. Your trainer needs to be found and if we do find them, we need you to be here." I tossed my hands in the air and walked to the couch, muttering under my breath a wide variety of threats I feel rather proud of, mostly vague threats on his life and family.

Four more days passed. Each day was the same as the last. Some random guy would stroll in, claiming to be my trainer to which I would just roll my eyes and ignore them. I think the man though I was getting worried. But let me tell you, four days may not seem like much but in my family we have something called Daniel Boone syndrome.

Basically it means that we don't take well to being cooped up and prefer a large amount of space to live in or roam as we will. Honestly though it should be called the Roiyal syndrome, after my family, 'cause we were out there in the woods roaming before Boone even learned how to walk.

Pretty soon, I was getting restless, pacing the floor, and just waiting for the first opportunity to high-tail outta town. And happily it came the very next night.

I woke to what sounded like a whispered conversation in the kitchen. I lifted my head to sneak a glance and saw the man and another guy in an apron and hiking boots talking. The apron-guy looked a lot like the poke-breeder you found in the video-games back home.

"So will you do it?" asked the man.

"Of course I will!" exclaimed apron-guy.

He was shushed by the man and I feigned sleep. He continued more quietly than before, "Of course I will. He'll be a great addition to our facility, especially if we can find a mate for him."

Oh Hell Nah.

I felt a slight breeze, like a window propped open nearby and lo and behold, there was, right at the foot of the couch to help cool the house, because for some friggin' reason I arrived in the dead of summer, not the beginning of autumn like at home.

I mentally considered taking my coat with me but decide against for a couple of reason: It was too big to wear comfortably for one and would only slow me down. There wasn't much of anything in my pockets but for a small ear-ring my sister had dropped and I had picked up the day I left. Taking it out I listened to the conversation the other two were having with half an ear.

The ear-ring was small, thick and had a gold-ish color to it. I grinned and almost chuckled at the thought of how much like a pirate I would look like. Carefully, grabbing my ear and pulling it tight, I quickly pricked a hole with the needle end of the hoop. There was a sharp sting then nothing. I closed it so the earring wouldn't fall out and crept towards the window.

A quick glance behind me showed they were still coming to some sort of agreement and weren't paying any bit of attention to me. I lifted the window and slid out as slowly and stealthily as possible, but my right foot caught and I tripped, slamming the window shut.

"Oh shit!" I shouted, getting up and running off. Apron-guy rushed out yelling "Charmeleon, get him back!"

"Fuck my life!" I knew what was chasing me and ran faster. "Oi, get back here! I don't want tah fight you!" This came from what I assume was the charmeleon and though he had a charming British accent, I wasn't doing it and said so with the eloquent words "Fuck off and leave me alone!" I think there was a reply but frankly, I didn't give a damn. I wasn't really listening at this point, just trying to make my way through the pitch-black woods.

I soon heard what sounded like a roar up ahead, like a river ending in a waterfall.

The moon slowly shied out from behind a cloud and showed me that that was exactly what was in front of me. I peered behind me and saw apron-guy huffing and puffing alongside the orange charmeleon who jogged a little closer before stopping a yard or so away. Charming - or whatever the hell the charmeleon's name was - told me "Yah go nowhere tah go now lad. Just come back. Don't worry we won't hurt yah."

"Oh go jump off a cliff."

He chuckled and shook his head at me. Thinking for a second, I continued "You know what, why don't I do that instead?" The sheer look of confusion and then sudden knowledge blooming in his face of recognition of what I meant was hilarious. His arm reached out as if he wanted to stop me, but I only laughed and turned around and ran.

I ran right off the edge of the cliff and into the nothingness of air, my shadow leaping ahead of me to greet the middle of the lake before me.

POV Change: ?

He jumped. The riolu actually Arceus-damned jumped! At least he got away from that trainer or poke-breeder or whatever that human was. But still! I hope he can swim. I still can't tell if it was sheer bravery, cowardice, or just plain foolishness.

I stole a glance at my companion, a usually stoic chansey who stared in disbelief at the falling riolu. When he finally hit the water, he was in some sort of dive that barely left a splash. Chans gasped and I just stared in admiration. He apparently DID know how to swim.

"Think he's okay?" I whispered. "Most riolu tend to sink,, but he just jumped like that didn't even matter to him." Chans didn't reply but I did feel the nod of affirmation she gave me as I watched the lake. I silently thought that she was right, but I was kind of worried. "Think we should meet him? He looked like he would be alright."

Chans seemed to give it some thought but shook her head and finally said "No i don't think we should. Let's just keep an eye on him for now." I nodded, but in my mind wished she wasn't so paranoid and that I was a lopunny, not a buneary, so I could help protect us. Then she wouldn't have to worry so much. I sighed to myself, worrying over her worrying over me. Sooner or later we'll be caught and that won't be good for either of us.

POV: Leo

The water I jumped into was so clear I nearly thought that there wasn't any water below me until I hit the surface. I swam down as far as my ears allowed me to get away from the surface in case the two above me jumped in after. A single look up told me that they had decided to give up instead and were walking away.

My lungs soon began to burn like someone who wanted to roast some marshmallows had lit a bonfire in them as I waited for the two enslaver-wannabes to have gotten far away. when I couldn't hold my breath anymore, I stroked my way up and breached the surface.

POV: ?

When he burst out of the water, I almost gasped. I don't know how to describe what I felt; the shear relief was nearly too much to bear and the beauty of the moment was almost indescribable. Chans elbowed me in the stomach to be quiet but I barely even noticed. It was like seeing a legendary for the first time.

It was only when he started to swim to the shore closest to us I snapped out of my reverie and slapped myself. I will not fawn over someone I don't even know…yet anyway. As that treasonous thought slid into my mind, I blushed furiously. Chans nudged me, rolling her eyes and gestured to leave. I followed her, yawning, eager to sleep and for tomorrow to come.

**Sorry for the wait everyone, I was trying out a new technique. I also much prefer to write things down before typing them. Whoo! Wonder whats gonna happen next?**


End file.
